Sorrow Eve
by Kioa
Summary: A terrible event falls over the castle one summer's eve. Future, AUish, might bring on the tears.


Firstly, this is a future, AU type thing. Dehio is my original character, introduced into the kingdom as an astrologer/fortune teller. Obviously he belongs to me, but the rest of the cast belongs to what's his face. Thankfully that's all you really need to know about him. Be prepared to feel sorrow!

A short one-shot written for a dear friend. XD Took 'bout thirty, fourty-five minutes.

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Dehio stared at the water with a lifeless expression. He was never known for expressing emotions anyway, but today he sorely wished he could do it proper. The astrologer moved away from the well and wandered over to the black smith's shop. The fire was dead today as his blue eyes found the black smith.

Smithy was staring at the ground, eyes hooded and cheeks wet from his tears. Pig was beside him, lying down and seeming to be placid. But Dehio knew that the animal could somehow pick up on the melancholy that had taken over the castle.

Leaving the mourning black smith, Dehio wandered over to Rake's garden. The gardener was sitting near the outside of the wall, mindlessly sorting his flowers. His face looked tight, eyes bloodshot. He kept placing the red alongside the purple, then placed the purple on the other side of the red. It was an endless cycle and Dehio had to take his eyes away from the mesmerizing sight. It would be a much simpler world to simply watch the gardener in his slow, meticulous movements, but he had to move on.

Passing by the kitchen, Dehio paused. He walked over to the entrance, glancing in. Pepper was sobbing loudly, sitting down at one of her benches. A stew steamed, ignored, in the pot over a fire. Dehio felt pity as he walked down the stairs and over to the pot. Getting a rag, the man moved the cast iron over to some smolder coals beside the fire place.

"Oh, i-it's such a pity," Pepper sobbed from her bench. "I keep telling myself it's just a lie, buh-but it's not... Ooooh, Dehio, why did this ever happen?" Dehio looked at her, knowing his stony face didn't look too sympathetic. Pepper stared back at him for a moment before breaking into fresh tears, bowing her head into her apron. The astrologer left the kitchen, feeling the heaviness of Pepper's tears and the reminder that he still had yet to shed any.

Walking to the castle, he passed the training grounds of the knights. Sir Theodore was standing on the large wall, a tall figure standing bravely against the overcast sky. His graying hair blew in the wind, face upturned to the skies. Sir Ivon was with the training equipment underneath him, organizing it with a sour face. The elder knight continuously wiped away at his eyes, sniffling loudly then trying to cover it up by coughing. Dehio caught a glimpse of a passing figure, but didn't stay there long enough to confront the person. He turned his back on the sight of the knights in sorrow and began to head towards the main castle.

Ascending the stairs, he noted Jester hunched down on one of them rocking slightly with his knees to his chest. He could hear the soft cries of the courtly clown and gently placed his hand on the blue clad man as he passed him. He heard the jingle of bells as Jester looked up at him. The two stared at each other for a while, dry blue eyes to moist blue.

"You're still not crying," Jester's broken voice spoke, almost spiteful. "Even after your prediction came true. Have you any shame?" The accusing look was too much for Dehio as he swallowed a lump in his throat. But he couldn't say anything. Nothing at all. The man closed his eyes and turned away, resuming his walk.

The courtyard was empty but Dehio could hear voices. Walking over to the hall, he encountered Queen Gwendolyn and Prince Cuthbert. The two royalties looked at him and Dehio felt a small sense of relief, albeit incredibly small. The prince hadn't cried yet, making the two a pair. Dehio's relief quickly turned to disgust as he cast his eyes away from the bratty prince.

"The King is inside," the Queen's cracked voice spoke up, wiping away her eyes. "But, please visit Lavinia. She enamors you Dehio and... perhaps..." Gwendolyn's wonderful voice cracked again as she turned her head away, lips pressed tightly together. Cuthbert placed a hand on his mother's arm. Dehio could tell she was using as much of her will power to refrain from crying more as he glanced to her. He nodded, bowing slightly as he moved into the hallways of the castle. He found himself in front of the princess's doorway, knocking on it slightly.

Lavinia looked over from the window she was staring out of. The teenager's beautiful eyes were christened with tears as she shook her head to Dehio, biting her lip.

"Please leave me," she whispered, turning away. "I can't... I just can't..." Dehio nodded respectfully, closing the door behind himself. He felt his heart wrench as he looked down the corridor. He found his feet walking him to that dreaded room where candle light was pouring from it. He entered, eyes slowly glancing around at the wet, blood stained cloths. The King looked up from the corner he stood in. His expression grew tight as he slowly walked towards Dehio.

"You foretold of this. Your stars and your signs well informed us of this horror. Why couldn't you find a way to prevent it? Why didn't you see something of worth!?" the King's voice rose but Dehio barely heard it. A midwife was shaking her head sadly, placing a bloody bundle of cloth down in a basin. A doctor stood beside her, looking sadly at the body on the bed. Dehio's blue eyes stared at the figure that was covered in a stained white sheet. But those frizzy red locks managed to emerge from the top of the sheet and Dehio felt his stomach knot and an illness grasp his insides with intensity.

"Answer me!" King Caradoc roared and Dehio turned to him. He stared at the King, at a loss of words. The King's angry glare bored into him before he quickly turned his head away. "Get out of my sight."

Dehio complied with his King's wishes and left the room. Feeling claustrophobic and chocked up, he exited the castle and entered into the blossoming tree field behind the castle. He saw the figure from before standing underneath one of the trees. Dehio slowly approached Gunther, stopping behind him slightly.

"I knew that this would eventually come," Gunther spoke, voice heavy. He bowed his head, hands resting on his hips. "She did too. But... we at least thought of hope. That we would find a solution and manage to-to prevent this." Dehio felt his mouth grow dry as he opened it. But Gunther turned around, fixing the man with his grey eyes. Dehio didn't look at him, fearful of the expression his close friend would hold. He felt disgusted with himself and his prediction, of a dead mother and child on a summer's eve. He heard Gunther approach him and Dehio stilled, ready for anything that the man would throw at him.

He didn't expect Gunther's arms to wrap around him, giving him an uncharacteristic hug. Dehio felt his throat constrict as a slight pain ignited behind his eyes.

"She told me to tell you not to blame yourself. You just read the stars to us, that is all. You are not responsible for Jane's death or for the death of our baby," Gunther said, but Dehio could tell that he had trouble saying it. Regardless, Dehio let out a soft, anguished moan as he hugged the man back, burying his head against Gunther's shoulder and finally crying. The two stood underneath the blossoming trees, feeling the great loss of the red-head that managed to make every day different than before, more fun and full of excitement. Now that was gone, to be filled, surely, with a void of sorrow and despair.

"Shortlives!" Dragon's voice ripped through the air above the two. Dragon landed with an ungraceful thump beside them, breaking two trees in the process. The large winged lizard didn't seem to pay any heed, however, as he almost slammed into the two with his snout. "Come quick, a miracle's happened!" Dragon's lack of jokes and urgency in his voice made Dehio's and Gunther's heart stop a moment. A miracle? Could Jane have survived? The two men quickly broke their embrace as they raced back into the room that held their depression. Dragon could be heard landing on top of the roof as the two men almost ran over each other upon entering into the room. Their faces fell when they saw the still body of Jane on the table. So it wasn't a miracle.

"She's nary making a noise, but she's as healthy as can be!" the midwife exclaimed happily as she thrusted the bloody bundle from before into Gunther's arms. Dehio looked on, feeling his breath catch in his throat. Gunther stared down at the baby in amazement as tears fell down his cheeks.

"She lives," he whispered, then looked at Dehio. He broke into a large smile, laughing a little. "She's alive! She was pronounced dead, but she's alive!" Dehio fell against the doorframe, staring at the two. A smile broke over his face as well as he wiped at his still crying eyes.

"The stars were wrong," he barely managed to rasp out. "They were wrong..." He closed his eyes, sliding to the floor.

Dragon's voice piped up from the window, staring at the room from upside down, "so what'll you name her, Gunther?"

Gunther looked down at the baby and kissed her forehead, "Hope." He smiled to the baby, then looked around the room. The King smiled warmly to him, as did the doctor. The midwife continued to wipe at her eyes as she placed a hand on the shoulder of Jane.

"Bless the two of you. I know she'll be watching from above," she told to Gunther, who nodded as he looked at Jane's body. The baby in his arms stirred and began to cry loudly. Gunther tore his eyes away from his wife's body as he rocked their daughter in his arms, kissing her forehead again. Dehio looked on before bowing his head forward, closing his eyes once more. He hoped that what the midwife said was true, that Jane would be watching over Gunther and little Hope from the heavens.

"Dehio, do you want to hold her?" Gunther spoke up. Dehio looked up at him, shocked. Gunther gave him a sad smile and nodded as if telling Dehio that it was alright. The astrologer slowly stood up, holding out his arms towards the baby. Baby Hope continued her crying as Dehio gathered her in his arms, feeling the weight of her live body. He smiled at seeing her as her eyes flashed open. They were green, just like her mother's.


End file.
